The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-04
SHIRLEY CARSTONE.
By ELIZA ARCHARD.
[ooSTNUEp.1
CHAPTER XVI

CHAPTER XVI
Tom made a little journey. with his delight
full new friend When they started he had
in his care $500 belonging to Mis- Simpkins
1t was 10 make the last payment on a snus
| property that frugal minded dame had
| bought She sent the money to the city by
Tom, rather than by the United States mai
service, because lit was safer
AT the end of a weeks time Tom cams
home. He looked wretchetily forlorn, some
how, and down at the heel and unhappy
! His mother and sisters were sure he mus,
have been sick. They pitied him very much
His nerves seemed out of order
The day after he came home a lady called
| to see him on business 1t was Mis- Simp
| kins He turned pale when he saw her
ats curious, but / hain't got the receipts
| for my $500 yet, Tom" said this business wo
man. They'd orter have come by mail the
| next day"
Then there was a time. After a world OF
shuffiing, stammering and growing red in tbs
face Tom made out to let her know that be
had lost her money-had his pocket picked on
| the train.
Shirley spoke up instantly.
Don't be uneasy, Mrs. Simpkins; you will
lose anything. 1t shall all be paid back
You tomorrow, every dollar
|
burst was blown away. Mis- Simpkins
hemmed and hesitated, and finally con.
| cluded:
Twas my hard airnin's-hard and honest
reckon you can make it good between ye u
That we can and will, Mrs Simpkins. r
said Shirley
Mis- Simpkins took her leave right pleas
antly. "Now, Tom,r said Shirley Tom
looked as if he wished the floor would open
and take him in.
Then he made clean breast of it, He had
| had to meet his friend Wabbnobbs at a GER
tain place. The friend was late, but there
| were two men betting on an amusing little
| game. 1t was fascinating game. Tom be-
came intensely interested, and had a chance
| to win $500. He was about to stake Mis-
| Simpkins' money. The overwhelming Mr..
| Wabbnobbs came in at that critical moment.
| He advised against it.
Better not do it, Tom" he said, your wo-
| men folks at home wouldn't like it."
Though the honest and friendly Mr.. Wabb-
hobbs had dropped this remark to dissuade
| Tom from betting, it had precisely the oppo-
site effect.
Tom lost all his own money and Mis- Simp-
kins' too
He might have run away Wabbnobbs Of
| fered to lend him money, and to stand his
friend still. But he had a sense of honor.
No Carstone had ever been coward or a
thief. He came home like man, but very
miserable one.
"I'm going to turn over a new leaf, Shir-
ley" said he; I'm going to earn my own liv-
ing, like man, and help you"
"Whenl" said his sister, Shirley had grown
little sarcastic of late years.
"Now," replied the young fellow, emphat-
10 \
not come back till I've made my fortune.
I've always wished to go west. All want is
money enough to take me there-not enough
to bring me back want to know for cer-
tain nobody will send me money to come
back with. II / knew l couldn't get home
whenever 1 felt like it / think it would be
better for me.n
Shirley meditated.
Then west it is, Tom, on your own TERMS"
said she at last.
So for the present honest, laundering Tom
Carstone disappears from this history He
had his wish. Shirley did all to equip him
comfortably and send him away happy. The
last words between sister and brother at the
parting moment were these:
II shall rely on you, Tom"
Il will not fail, Shirley"
She had taken on herself additional burden
But there was Brownie, too Brownie was as
good for nothing pretty girl ever made
herself a nuisance to u devoted sister. She
was more troublesome than any of the boys.
She was given to exploiting herself in wild,
unheard of ways. "for the fun of itn
Meantime Shirley did her best to get pretty
dresses for Brownie, and crafty her expen-
sive whims. She loved this thoughtless, win
some sister, and it hurt her affectionate heart
to see the girl unhappy and SO disconnected
But Brownie grumbled on:
Il wish the time would come when / could
spend ten cents without feeling guilty." she
said.
"Here's ten cents" says Shirley "Go and
spend it now, and don't feel guilty in the
least"
"Oh, you know what meant What's the
use of all this skimpingi Other people who
are no better off than are have beautiful
things 1t makes one feel so mean to be tied
down here all summer, when the other girls
can have pretty new things and go away for
trips and have some pleasure
"Why, l don't know" said Shirley. II
think it's rather jolly to he saved all that fuss
and bother. Nothing is expected of you.
You can earn your own money, and you
needn't spend it for carriage and horses be-
cause Mrs. Smith has one."
"There you go again, " said Brownie "Why
must you always be talking about earning
money, and letting people know you worki
Tn sure you could buy whatever you wanted
20 and get trusted for the pay. Then if we
we're poor nobody would know itn
"What head there is upon this girls
shoulders, nowi But, my child, nobody de-
ceives the world in that way Murder will
out Father used to say you couldn't make a
meal bag stand up when it was empty.
You'll have to pass for what you are worth,
Brownie
Then l won't" spoke up the little sister.
"Am going to let the Frobisher girls know
my silk dress is an old one colored and turned
and made over on a sham skirt when they've
got new ones all rounda Yes, and that /
made it myselfi I'll die first!"
Il should think you'd be rather proud of
it, replied Shirley, simply. "And I'm sure
they see through the sham and laugh at you
for it. A square out and out poverty that
pays its modest way as it goes is ten times
more dignified than the poverty that tries to
pass for riches" I"
Shirley, don't preach. It's unbecoming to
you Why didn't you marry rich man and
help your family on"
Il never saw one I'd have,n said Shirley,
laughing.
"Then Tn sure it was very ungrateful of
you, taking your own head for things in that
way. Other girls get rich husbands. 1 de-
clare it's what mean to do myself l won't
live on in this mean. stingy poverty. The
first rich man that comes along--you mark
it'll have him though he's four times
widower and 100 years old, and takes snuff
And don't carei'
At that Shirley preached in earnest.
Don't do that, Brownie" she said II you
do you'll be sorry for it all your life A
woman can make no greater mistake than to
marry a man she's not in love with. If she
does, she's tolerably sure to find somebody
she is in love with afterwards And it won't
be her husband. But the true knight will
come too late. No, no, Brownie Never let
me hear that again.
@How dc you know so much about it, Shir-
leyi You never cared for any man A man
wouldn't dare TO make love to youn
Shirley laughed again.
"My prophetic soul tells me,n she replied.
That was one sermon Brownie got. Another
was preached to her.
Mr.. Wabbnobbs did not go westward with
his friend Tom. Wabbnobbs fingered The
cir of Linwood agreed with him. Bv and by
It could not be denied that he began to hover
IN offish way around Brownie The girl
half encouraged him. afor the fun of it The
children, Harry and Alice, made merry i'm
mensely over Brownies lover
He makes me think of Mother Goose said
Alice
A little pig found fifty dollar note,
And purchased a hat and very fine coat
sits the beauty of him that takes me- said
Harry. His false teeth waltz up and down
IN his mouth every time he talks. When he
gets eloquent, can't keep my eyes of those
teatb- They fin M and do-n With -verv
word, and fascinate NE, like the Ancient
Mariners glittering eye. I'm all Of . tremble
for fear they'll shoot out into Brownies lap